Thousands of Iowans take part in nationwide ‘Hands Off!’ protests against Trump administration policies
“Hands Off!” protests took part in several Iowa cities and communities on Saturday. Thousands of people marched from downtown Des Moines to the Iowa Statehouse.
NOW. GOOD EVENING. THANKS FOR JOINING US RIGHT NOW. THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE PROTESTING AGAINST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION POLICIES. THEY ARE SPEAKING OUT AGAINST GOVERNMENT DOWNSIZING THE ECONOMY, CHANGES TO HUMAN RIGHTS POLICIES, AND MORE. MORE THAN 1200 DEMONSTRATIONS ARE PLANNED IN CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND EVEN AROUND THE GLOBE. THOUSANDS OF IOWANS JOINED IN TAKING PART IN RALLIES IN MULTIPLE CITIES ACROSS OUR STATE. KCCI. PEPPER. PEPPER WAS AT THE DOWNTOWN PROTEST IN DOWNTOWN DES MOINES. PEPPER. KAYLA. ONE OF THE BIGGEST ONES WE SAW HERE IN CENTRAL IOWA HAPPENED RIGHT BACK HERE ON THESE STEPS. THIS IS WHERE WE SAW THOUSANDS HEADING UP TOWARDS THE STATE CAPITOL HERE. NOW TAKE A LOOK AT THIS. THIS IS DRONE VIDEO OF THAT PROTEST AS IT WAS HAPPENING THIS AFTERNOON. THERE WE SAW. THOUSANDS MAKE THE TREK UP TO THE IOWA STATE HOUSE AROUND 1:00 THIS AFTERNOON. ALL OF THEM WERE PROTESTING MOVES MADE BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. FROM DDOS TO FUNDING CUTS, TARIFFS AND MORE. WE TALKED WITH ONE OF THE PROTESTERS WHO SAYS SHE HOPES THE PROTEST CREATES SOME MOMENTUM FOR CHANGE. I’M HOPING THIS IS A START. I HOPE EVERYBODY IS, YOU KNOW, NOT HOME POSTING MEMES, BUT THEY’RE CALLING OUR SENATORS OR CALLING OUR REPRESENTATIVES. THEY’RE WRITING THE LETTERS. I MEAN, WE’RE GETTING NOTHING BUT CANNED RESPONSES BACK FROM WASHINGTON, D.C., BUT WE JUST GOT TO KEEP SPEAKING UP BECAUSE WE CAN’T LET UP. AND THERE WERE ALSO CIRCULATING A PETITION AMONGST PROTESTERS THIS AFTERNOON FOCUSED ON ONE IOWA REPRESENTATIVE. HERE, LATER TONIGHT AT TEN, WHICH REPRESENTATIVE? THEY’RE TALKING. THEY’RE HOPING TO GET A RESPONSE FROM IN DES MOINES. KCCI EIGHT NEWS. IOWA’S NEWS LEADER. PEPPER. THANK YOU. OVER IN AMES, HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ALSO GATHERED AT BANDSHELL PARK HOLDING SIGNS AND CHANTING. THEY LINED UP ALONG THE ROAD AS CARS DROVE BY. ONE WOMAN WE SPOKE WITH SAYS HER SON WAS A CONTRACTOR FOR USAID AND LOST HIS JOB. IT DOESN’T MAKE A LOT OF DIFFERENCE IN JUST ONE SHORT, TWO HOUR STAND UP, BUT I HOPE IT MOBILIZES PEOPLE A LITTLE BIT MORE. CALL PEOPLE EVERY WEEK. CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES EVERY WEEK. JUST KEEP BUGGING THEM. EVEN IF THEY DON’T RESPOND. JUST KEEP CALLING AND MAKE SURE YOU VOTE. HANDS OFF RALLIES WERE ALSO HELD ACROSS THE STATE IN RED OAK, WATERLOO, CEDAR RAPIDS AND DUBUQUE. KCCI DID REACH OUT TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF IOWA ABOUT TODAY’S DEMONSTRATIONS. IN A STATEMENT, A SPOKESPERSON SAID IN PART, DEMOCRATS ARE IN DISARRAY. THEY HAVE NO MESSAGE, NO PLATFORM AND NO LEADER. THEY CANNOT FIGURE OUT WHY THEY LOST ON NOVEMBER 5TH. INSTEAD, THEY HAVE RESORTED TO SCREAMING GROUP THERAPY SESSIONS. AND AS PROTESTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY CONTINUE, YOU CAN COUNT ON US HERE AT KCCI TO KEEP YOU UPDATED. DOWNLOAD OUR APP AND CHECK OUR WE
Thousands of Iowans take part in nationwide ‘Hands Off!’ protests against Trump administration policies
“Hands Off!” protests took part in several Iowa cities and communities on Saturday. Thousands of people marched from downtown Des Moines to the Iowa Statehouse.
Updated: 7:13 PM CDT Apr 5, 2025
Reporter/Multimedia Journalist
Thousands of people from across the United States spent Saturday protesting Trump administration policies during nationwide “Hands Off!” rallies and people in communities across Iowa joined in. People are protesting government downsizing, the economy, changes to human rights policies and more actions taken by the Trump administration. More than 1,200 demonstrations were planned in cities across the country and around the globe. Rallies were held in different communities across Iowa, including Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Red Oak and Waterloo. In Central Iowa, there were protests in Ames at Bandshell Park and a large one drawing thousands to downtown Des Moines. Fliers showed the Des Moines protest, which began outside of Congressman Zach Nunn’s office in downtown Des Moines. Thousands marched down Locust Street and up to the Iowa Statehouse. KCCI’s Pepper Purpura covered the rally as people voiced their frustrations with moves made by the Trump administration such as actions taken by the Department of Government Efficiency, funding cuts, tariffs and more. One protestor tells KCCI she hopes the protest creates momentum for change. “I’m hoping this is a start. I hope everybody is not home posting memes, but they’re calling our senators. They’re calling our representatives. They’re writing letters,” said Barb Farrow, who joined the protest when it began around noon. “I mean, we’re getting nothing but canned responses back from Washington, D.C. We just got to keep speaking up.” KCCI did reach out to the Republican Party of Iowa about Saturday’s demonstrations and received the following statement from a spokesperson: “Democrats are in disarray — they have no message, no platform, and no leader. They still cannot seem to figure out why they lost on November 5th. Instead, they’ve resorted to screaming group therapy sessions — manufactured and funded by dark money puppet masters, including George Soros.”This is a developing story. » Subscribe to KCCI’s YouTube page» Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play
DES MOINES, Iowa —Thousands of people from across the United States spent Saturday protesting Trump administration policies during nationwide “Hands Off!” rallies and people in communities across Iowa joined in.
People are protesting government downsizing, the economy, changes to human rights policies and more actions taken by the Trump administration. More than 1,200 demonstrations were planned in cities across the country and around the globe.
Rallies were held in different communities across Iowa, including Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Red Oak and Waterloo. In Central Iowa, there were protests in Ames at Bandshell Park and a large one drawing thousands to downtown Des Moines.
Fliers showed the Des Moines protest, which began outside of Congressman Zach Nunn’s office in downtown Des Moines. Thousands marched down Locust Street and up to the Iowa Statehouse.
KCCI’s Pepper Purpura covered the rally as people voiced their frustrations with moves made by the Trump administration such as actions taken by the Department of Government Efficiency, funding cuts, tariffs and more.
One protestor tells KCCI she hopes the protest creates momentum for change.
“I’m hoping this is a start. I hope everybody is not home posting memes, but they’re calling our senators. They’re calling our representatives. They’re writing letters,” said Barb Farrow, who joined the protest when it began around noon. “I mean, we’re getting nothing but canned responses back from Washington, D.C. We just got to keep speaking up.”
KCCI did reach out to the Republican Party of Iowa about Saturday’s demonstrations and received the following statement from a spokesperson:
“Democrats are in disarray — they have no message, no platform, and no leader. They still cannot seem to figure out why they lost on November 5th. Instead, they’ve resorted to screaming group therapy sessions — manufactured and funded by dark money puppet masters, including George Soros.”
This is a developing story.
» Subscribe to KCCI’s YouTube page
» Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play
